US embassy cable - 05ANKARA7214

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 007214 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2015 
TAGS: PREL, ENRG, EPET, IZ, IR, TU, Iraq 
SUBJECT: DEPUTY IRAQ COORDINATOR DEUTSCH'S CONSULTATIONS IN 
ANKARA 
 
REF: ISTANBUL 02059 
 
Classified By: DCM NANCY MCELDOWNEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B and D). 
 
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Summary 
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1. (S)  In December 1-2 meetings with Turkish Prime Ministry 
advisor Davutoglu and senior MFA officials, Deputy Senior 
Advisor and Deputy Iraq Coordinator Robert Deutsch discussed 
the U.S. National Strategy for Victory in Iraq and the PRT 
concept, encouraged the Turks to consider contributing 
observers to the December 15 elections in Iraq, and discussed 
efforts to prevent PKK front parties from participating in 
the elections.  The Turks briefed Deutsch on GOT efforts to 
encourage Sunni participation in the political process, 
including their invitation to U.S. Iraq Ambassador Khalilzad 
to meet selected Iraqi Sunni personalities in Istanbul on 
December 4.  Deutsch also discussed Iraqi electricity 
generation, fuel delivery issues and the status of Turkey's 
USD 50 million Iraq assistance pledge with the MFA Iraq 
assistance coordinator. End Summary. 
 
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TURKS ON SUNNI OUTREACH 
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2. (C) In a December 1 meeting at CDA's residence, Prime 
Ministry advisor Ahmet Davutoglu and MFA Middle East Director 
General Celikkol briefed Deutsch on the GOT's offer to host a 
private meeting in Istanbul December 3-4 between Iraq Sunni 
leaders and U.S. officials.  (Note:  U.S. Ambassador to Iraq 
Zalmay Khalilzad and Consul General Istanbul officers 
attended the meeting; see reftel.  End note.)  Davutoglu and 
Celikkol explained that Iraqi Sunnis had asked the GOT to 
arrange such a meeting and that FM Gul had agreed to help as 
part of the GOT's efforts to encourage broader Sunni 
participation in the December 15 elections.  The Turks 
explained that such a meeting outside Iraq with senior U.S. 
officials would contribute to allaying Sunni fears and 
suspicions regarding participation in the elections.  It 
would show that the U.S. could distinguish legitimate Iraqi 
opposition among Sunnis from terrorists.  Davutoglu stressed 
that the Sunnis coming to Istanbul felt "sandwiched" and 
insecure between "Wahhabism" on one side and Iran-supported 
Shi'a extremism on the other.  Deutsch noted that the U.S. 
shares the GOT's aim of separating the majority of Sunnis 
from terrorism and encouraging their political participation, 
but questioned the presence of representatives of the Ulema 
Council among the Sunnis coming to the Istanbul meeting. 
Davutoglu responded that, even if the Ulema Council cannot be 
convinced to accept the political process, it might be 
convinced not to block it.  In such a case, quality Sunni 
candidates would run, giving them good representation. 
 
3.  (C) Having just attended a dinner at the Iraqi embassy 
for visiting Iraqi Deputy President Adil abd al-Mahdi, 
Davutoglu and Celikkol reported they were impressed with 
al-Mahdi and his team, which they found more capable than 
former PM Allawi's. 
 
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MFA U/S TUYGAN ON ELECTIONS, OIL 
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4. (C)  In a December 2 conversation at the Foreign Ministry, 
Deutsch and MFA Undersecretary Ali Tuygan agreed on the 
importance of steering Iraqi political leaders and the Iraqi 
assembly to an issues-based rather than sectarian agenda. 
Deutsch and Tuygan agreed on the need to ensure the December 
15 elections are adequately monitored to discourage fraud. 
Tuygan expressed interest in plans to monitor the elections 
and Deutsch described EU and Canada's International 
Monitoring of Iraqi Elections (IMIE) efforts to organize 
national and international observers, encouraging the Turks 
to consider contributing observers.  Tuygan said the Turkish 
embassy in Baghdad would be in contact with the Independent 
Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI). 
 
5. (C)  Tuygan expressed appreciation for Deutsch's brief 
presentation of the U.S. national strategy for Iraq.  Deutsch 
and Tuygan also discussed Iraqi oil production and measures 
to increase the security of oil pipelines and distribution 
networks, especially the oft-sabotaged Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. 
 
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MFA SECURITY DG GUVEN ON PKK 
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6.  (S) Deutsch reiterated to MFA Director General for 
Security Affairs (S/CT equivalent) Ambassador Hayati Guven 
the U.S. goal is a united Iraq that is not a safehaven for 
terrorists.  To that end, he explained, the USG has 
encouraged the Iraqi Kurds to participate fully in the 
national political system.  They have played positive roles 
both in the constitution drafting process and within the 
government in Baghdad.  On the PKK, the USG has been working 
closely with Turkey against the group in Europe and in 
Turkey.  As for the PKK presence in Iraq, Deutsch hoped the 
new Iraqi government that emerges after the December 15 
elections will be more effective across the board than its 
predecessors, including in countering terrorism. 
 
7. (S) A clearly frustrated Guven responded that the USG 
message on the PKK that the GOT should wait for a united Iraq 
to emerge had not changed, and the amount of time Turkey was 
expected to wait seemed to be very long.  While Washington 
might be satisfied with the Iraqi Kurds, Turkey was not:  The 
Kurds have an "established authority" in northern Iraq, have 
heard Turkey's requests within the PKK trilateral talks 
framework (Ankara 242), but have done "nothing."  There is 
also apparently no connection between the government in 
Baghdad and the authorities in the north. 
 
8. (S) Deutsch raised the issue of PKK front parties in Iraq 
and asked whether Turkey had provided information to the IECI 
on the Democratic Reconstruction and Constitution Party and 
the Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party (KDSP) ties to the 
terrorists.  Guven said the Turkish Ambassador in Baghdad had 
raised the issue with both President Talabani and FM Zebari, 
and Talabani had undertaken to contact "appropriate 
authorities."  However, Guven was unaware of any Turkish 
approach directly to the IECI.  Deutsch told Guven that the 
IECI was truly independent and urged Turkey approach the 
commission directly, as it had done in 2004.  He noted that, 
although the list of parties for the election has already 
been published, the IECI was still receiving and reviewing 
information on former Baathists and corruption allegations 
with a view towards revising the list, so it might not yet be 
too late to provide the IECI data on the terrorist links of 
these two parties.  After some discussion as to the kind of 
information the IECI might find useful, Guven agreed to have 
the Turkish Embassy contact IECI.  In response to a question, 
polmilcouns told Guven that the USG was still in the process 
of making releasable its information on the KDSP.   (Comment: 
 We understand JAC Molesworth is working on this.  End 
Comment.) 
 
9. (S) Guven expressed impatience that Iraq has not yet 
extradited two Istanbul bombing suspects.   After months of 
effort and despite Turkey's raising the matter as high as the 
Iraqi President, the suspects have yet to be handed over. 
Deutsch agreed that senior Iraqis needed to push their 
processes harder to make them function better and suggested 
that the USG would again see whether further encouragement 
could facilitate this Iraqi extradition process. 
 
10. (S) Changing the subject, Guven recalled the Istanbul 
meeting of Iraq neighbors' interior ministers earlier this 
year when ministers discussed the creation of a permanent 
secretariat in Baghdad (Ankara 4230).  Ankara had recently 
 
SIPDIS 
received a letter from Saudi Arabia asking for Turkey's views 
on this proposal that had been made by the Iranian minister 
and supported by the Iraqis.  Guven said the Turkish response 
will be that the matter was discussed but not finally 
decided, and would likely be considered further at the next 
interior ministers' gathering in January or February in 
Riyadh.  Contrary to his expectation when he briefed us on 
the meeting last July, he said the draft protocol on the 
interior ministers' process would not include mention of the 
proposed secretariat. 
 
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MFA IRAQ AID COORDINATOR TARGAY ON POWER, FUEL 
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11. (C) In a meeting with MFA Coordinator for Iraq 
Reconstruction Koray Targay, Deutsch reviewed current 
challenges in meeting targets for electricity production and 
distribution in Iraq.  He emphasized recent effective 
targeting of transmission by insurgents, budget problems, and 
reliance on use of fuel oil which requires greater 
maintenance and down-time.  Targay described current 
electricity exports from Turkey of around 250 MW (from Kartet 
Company).  Referring to the Prime Minister,s promise to 
increase this amount to 1200 MW, he cited that -- despite 
excess capacity available in Turkey (he said 12 billion kwh 
over the next five years) -- bureaucracy and needed 
investment in transmission on both sides of the border were 
obstacles and challenges.   Noting USD 50 million in 
investment needed on the Iraq side and USD 40 million on the 
Turkish side, Targay lamented that Turkish law currently 
allows only the government to invest in electricity 
transmission.  Given the company's willingness to do this, he 
had strongly recommended an exception.  In conclusion, Targay 
expressed confidence that they would collectively be able to 
deal with this transmission problem and noted that there did 
not seem to be payment problems for the Turkish supplier. 
 
12. (C) Moving to the equally formidable challenge of fuel 
shipments to Iraq from Turkey, Targay noted the challenge for 
the 36 Turkish suppliers who had contracted to deliver to 
Iraqi state oil marketing company SOMO.  While arrears had 
increased to USD 600 million out of total debt of USD 800 
million, he expressed surprising faith in the good will of 
SOMO to make payments.  Deutsch emphasized the difficulties 
faced by SOMO in light of current budget problems and given 
that these expenditures were not anticipated.  He expressed 
optimism that IMF stipulated liberalization and reforms of 
fuel product imports and prices could help solve some of the 
supply problems. 
 
13. (C) Targay observed that Turkey had funded about USD 10 
million to date of its USD 50 million pledge.  While noting 
that security problems had slowed realization of assistance 
plans, he expressed commitment to move forward.  He cited 
plans for USD 14-15 million for a hospital in Baghdad and USD 
15-20 million for mobile electricity power stations in Tal 
Afar.  With respect to the latter, there were still concerns 
about Iraq's ability to protect the plants and maintain and 
operate them.  They would operate on fuel oil, of which Iraq 
had adequate quantities. 
 
14. (U) Deutsch briefed Targay on the Provincial 
Reconstruction Team concept as we are seeking to apply it to 
Iraq and welcomed any ideas on ways Turkey could contribute 
to PRT activities as they are stood up. 
 
15. (U) Deputy Iraq Coordinator Deutsch cleared this cable. 
WILSON